Modernizing the mainframe with an eye for security

While the internet will always have security challenges, organizations must make an effort to reduce risks and operate in as stress-free an environment as possible. Adding security checks to a mainframe terminal emulator can give businesses increased access to necessary functions online and a greater sense of control through consistently updated web protocols.

With sophisticated, targeted hacks a possibility for companies of any size, businesses need to be wary of phishing and other tactics used to thwart enterprise security. In an article for the News-Press, John Piccolo says that mainframes are inherently more protected than personal computers due to their design. Because of this, there are checks preventing the kind of vulnerbility abuses that might occur on individual devices.

To ensure these checks work correctly, though, users have to base their operating decisions on the latest software flaws and concerns. In a piece for the MIT Technology Review, security expert Phil Young remarked on the problems affecting mainframes. According to him, regular internet users can locate the login screens of hundreds of mainframes online, including important government agencies.

"The security on this platform is not being managed well, and corporations and governments are using them for things that really matter to all of us," he said. "It's this huge blindside waiting to happen."

Taking a multi-step approach to enhancing security is the best way to manage mainframe concerns. By adapting to the newest software products, monitoring data logging and working in translatable formats like HTML, a mainframe modernization strategy can update systems without making them more susceptible to security issues.